‘HAMILTON’ hits Anchorage, discounted tickets for UAA students

The 2,000 seat Atwood Concert Hall was filled Friday night with theater goers who came to see one of Broadway’s biggest successes in recent years. And the thundering standing ovation at the end testified to an extraordinary performance.

Performed by the Phillips Cast of the North American Tour, “HAMILTON” was created by Lin-Manuel Miranda, who wrote the music and lyrics. He also played the titular character when the musical debuted in 2015.

The performance is running in Anchorage through Sept. 10, and UAA students can get a discounted ticket for $29 by purchasing tickets with the code HAMSTUDENT on CenterTix.com. The code only works if seats colored red or yellow are selected. 

The three hour performance is notable for its use of hip hop, rap and showtunes to tell the story of Alexander Hamilton — from his tragic and humble beginnings to his rocketing success as a key figure in the Revolutionary War and founding of the country. 

Hamilton helped draft the U.S. Constitution, wrote many of the Federalist Papers and organized the finances of the fledgling nation.

The musical also touches on the sadder and scandalous aspects of Hamilton’s life, including an affair and untimely death of his son. 

An elaborate set was constructed on the stage of the Atwood Concert Hall, built of rough-hewn wooden catwalks and brickwork. 

Coiled rope, crates and barrels helped complete the picture of a nondescript part of New York City in the 1700s. 

The set was easily transformed into a war room, tavern or city street with the addition of a desk, drinking table or street lamps. An interesting feature of the set was a spinning section in the middle. 

The cast was dressed in period piece outfits, and the extra dancers wore white stockings with white corsets.

Hamilton, played by Pierre Jean Gonzalez, changed his garb throughout the performance, donning the iconic blue jacket of the Continental Army when joining the war and a green jacket and breeches during his time in politics.

For those familiar with the original performance by Miranda, Gonzalez brings a slightly deeper, smoother voice to Hamiliton, making him sound more mature.

Deon’te Goodman plays Aaron Burr, whose life parallels Hamilton’s. Though born to wealth, he, like Hamilton, was orphaned. They both attend King’s College and eventually become lawyers, entering into politics.

Initially, Burr tries to help Hamilton, sharing his strategy for climbing the social ladder. He advises Hamilton to “talk less, smile more.” 

Burr can be seen following his own advice during the performance, smiling obsequiously at powerful figures such as George Washington. 

But Burr begins to seeth at Hamilton, who, despite his unrestrained and outspoken manner, outdoes Burr in appointment and prestige, being handed a sword and command by Washinton and later a seat in his presidential cabinet. 

The rivalry between the men culminates in the famous duel that leaves Hamilton dead and Burr’s remembered as “the villain in [our] history” and “the damn fool that shot him.”

Another important pair of figures are the Schuyler sisters, Eliza and Angelica Schuyler — played by Candace Quarrels and Lencia Kebebe respectively. They enter into Hamilton’s life as the war begins. 

Though Angelica possesses a mind and wit to match Hamilton’s, she passes him off to her sister Eliza, whom he eventually marries. 

But there is a deeper relationship between Angelica and Hamiltion. In written correspondence, there are hints dropped that only a writer like Hamilton could appreciate, such as a specially placed comma in a letter to Angelica, which reads, “My dearest, Angelica.”

Angelica’s feelings are explored in a stunning performance that takes place during her sister’s wedding to Hamilton. 

During the song “Satisfied,” a flashback sequence takes full advantage of the rotating stage, which, like a record playing backwards, spins the actors backwards as they go through the motions of the wedding ceremony in reverse. 

The flashback takes us to when Angelica meets Hamilton and realizes that they are kindred spirits, and, for various reasons, she must stand aside for her sister Eliza. 

This sequence is one of many that utilize the spinning stage, which makes the exceptionally choreographed dances all the more impressive, considering the actors have to time their performances with the spinning mechanism.

The audience was totally absorbed in the performance and watched in silence, bursting into applause and cheers at the culmination of various numbers. 

Another notable feature of “HAMILTON” is the racially diverse cast, which plays the parts of leading historical figures. They breathe new life into roles that are normally associated with stereotypical old dead white guys.

A stand out was Marcus Choi, who played the part of George Washington. His energetic performance brought intensity to a figure who often has an air of unapproachable stately dignity. And his thoughtful reflections conveyed wisdom in the nation’s first president.

Choi stole the march on the show with his thunderous performance of “Goodbye,” which details the drafting of Washington's famous Farewell Address.

An audience favorite was King George, played by Neil Haskell. He took to the stage wearing an large crown sparkling brilliantly with jewels and gems.

With a smile and a sneer, the king feigned concern for the rebellious colonies and took evident vindictive pleasure at the thought of sending “a fully armed battalion to remind [them of his] love.”

Haskell added menace to the character, lurking toward the audience while singing his first number. And he earned some laughs by dancing and frolicing during the chaos and confusion of the Adams administration. 

Thomas Jefferson, played by Jared Howelton, was also a delight to watch. Making his appearance in the second act, his intelligence and flamboyant style rivaled that of the Hamiliton, giving the outspoken lawyer a serious opponent for the first time. 

Sporting a cane and wearing a deep red jacket to contrast with Hamilton’s green, Jefferson stood opposed to Hamilton’s plan to finance the state's war debt through the federal government. 

Jefferson forces Hamilton to come to terms, negotiating an agreement locating the nation's capital near Jefferson’s home state of Virginia in exchange for support of Hamilton's debt plan. 

As Hamilton, Jefferson and Madison clink mugs to celebrate the agreement, Burr is seen sulking outside the “The Room Where It Happened,” envious of Hamilton’s access to power.

And for all the energy and worry that Hamilton and others poured into efforts to establish their legacies, it turns out to be Eliza, Hamilton’s wife, who bears much of the responsibility for telling their stories. In the finale, it’s revealed that she worked to preserve not only his legacy but that of Washington, Lafayette and others. 

While the performance was stunning, there were some problems with the sound in the first half that muddied the vocals, making the songs difficult to understand. The problems seemed to be resolved by the second half, which was much easier to follow along. 

But despite the audio issues, it was obvious that this was an extraordinary performance by top class performers. 

And for musical fans, the opportunity to see “HAMILTON” is not something that should be passed up. Tickets can be found on CenterTix.com.